Throughout history, great leaders have been remembered and celebrated in a variety of ways. One leader being celebrated this week is Martin Luther King Jr., and the celebration is happening right on the University’s campus. 
The Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Committee is putting on its MLK Performing Arts Night, which begins at 6 p.m. Jan. 21, as one of the events during the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Celebration Week. The nine-act performance will showcase talents such as singing, dancing, poetry and a short film. 
Each act in is focused on this year’s theme, “Inspired Leadership: Purpose, Commitment, Action.”  Coordinator of cross-cultural affairs Krystie Nguyen said the student-run committee has been preparing for this year’s event since it began recruiting acts and holding auditions in March 2014. Nguyen’s position in the Office of Multicultural Affairs allows her to advise the MLK committee.
“Kudos to all the team leaders and the chair,” Nguyen said. “Without the students being able to jell together, these performances and these individual programs wouldn’t come together to make it MLK week.” 
The show features both brand new and returning acts. Sociology sophomore and committee member Brianna Doomes said the show is special to her because it honors King and helps to keep his dream alive.  Doomes will be singing Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” because of its relevance and because it was written around the time of the U.S. Civil Rights
Movement. 
Each performance is special — several performers, including poets and rappers, wrote their own acts to honor King. 
“It’s coming from us and how we feel about it,” Doomes said. “I feel like sometimes, yeah, we get the day off, but some people don’t even think of him today. That’s why this is so special to me.”
MLK Performing Arts Night is a tradition that dates back roughly 30 years and is constantly a work in progress. The performance will take place in the Student Union Theater, and Nguyen hopes to fill every seat. The committee will put the finishing touches on its show during a final dress
rehearsal.
“The arts is a way to communicate,” Nguyen said. “The art speaks within itself. Even if you have a lyrical dance, it evokes similar attributes to Dr. King’s dreams, inspiration, leadership, call, charge, etc. There’s also that inspiration when you actually see a performance.”
This performance is just one event happening during the celebratory week. Other events include MLK Day of Service, a candlelight vigil sponsored by the National Pan-Hellenic Council and an ongoing food drive. The week will conclude Jan. 22 with the MLK and Black History Month Commemorative Celebration featuring keynote speaker Marc Lamont Hill. 
Doomes said this is the first extracurricular activity she’s participated in, and she feels she couldn’t have joined a better committee.
“Not only do you meet awesome people, but you feel good about yourself,” Doomes said. “We finished the MLK Day of Service and everyone was very thankful. It’s enlightening; you get a lot out of it. It’s a great and diverse
committee for people to join.” 
You can reach Greta Jines on Twitter @TheGretaJines.